Electric valve-controlling mechanism.



L. A. MAPEL.

EIECTRIC VALVE CONTROLLING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 29.1915. Patented Apr. 18, 1916.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1- THE C 0LUMBIA PLANOGRAPH 120., WASHINGTON, D. C.

L. A. MAPEL.

ELECTRIC VA LVE CONTROLLING MECHANISM. APPLICATIONFILED JULY 29. 1915.

1, 179,540. Patented Apr. 18, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- UNIT D s'ra'rns PATENT orrion.

LEWIS A. MAPEL,

00., OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI,

OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR- TO MAPEL MANUFACTURING A CORPORATIONOF MISSOURI.

ELECTRIC VALVE-CONTROLLING- MECHANISM.

'Patentedi1pr.18,1916.

original application filed. April 16, 1915, Serial No. 21,815. Dividedand this application filed July 29,

- 1915. Serial No. 42,625.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEWIS A. MAPEL, a

citizen of the United States, residing in the city of St. Louis andState of Missouri, have invented a new and useful Electric Valve-Controlling Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to electric mechanism for controlling valves, andis a division of-application Serial No. 21,815, filed April 16, 1915.

An object of the invention is to provide electric mechanism forcontrolling valves, which mechanism consists of an actuator which isenergized by mechanism under control of the fluid which has passedthrough the valve effectively to enable the valve to close and therebyprevent passage of any more liquid therethrough, with provision wherebythe actuator will become disabled or enervated as an incident to theclosing of the valve.

Another object is to provide a valve for controlling the passage offluid througha valve passage, and means for holding said valve open toenable a fluid to pass thereby, in combination with an actuator operableto release said holding means to enable said valve to close, mechanismunder control of the fluid which has passed said valve whereby saidactuator will be energized when a predetermined quantity of fluid haspassed said valve, and means whereby said actuator will becomedisabledand disconnected from the source of energy as an incident to theclosing of the valve as aforesaid.

A further object is to provide a valve actuator, in combination withmeans for energizing said actuator when a predetermined quantity offluid has passed the valve, and means for disabling or disconnectingsaid actuator from a source of power as a consequence of the movement ofsaid actuator when it is energized as aforesaid.

Various other objects of specific and general character will becomeapparent from the following detail description of one embodiment of theinvention which I have illustrated in the accompanying drawings inwhich- Figure 1 is a view illustrating my invention in complete form.Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the valve chamber, illustrating the deviceby which the valve isheld open. Fig.

6 is an enlarged front view of the floatcontrolled switch device.

I have illustrated my invention in connection with a liquidreceptacle 1. Liquid is admitted into the receptacle 1 through a passage2 communicating with a valve chamber 3, constructed and arranged toreceive liquid from a number of supply passages 4, the admission of theliquid into the chamber 3 from the passages 1 being controlled by avalve 5. A valve seat 6 is arranged within the chamber 3, and a valve 7is movable to and from said valve seat to close and open the passagethrough the chamber. A spring 8 of the expansion type is supportedwithin the valve chamber and presses against a part of the valveefl'ectively to retain said valve normally in closed adjustment and toactuate said valve to closed adjustment as hereinafter explained. Thevalve 7 is provided with a stem 9 which terminates adjacent to arod 10extending trans versely of the valve chamber and provided with a cam 11whereby the valve may be moved to open position in opposition to thespring 8. A member 12 is attached tothe outer end of the rod 10 and isprovided with a shoulder 13 which is movable into engagement with a hookon the end of a lever 14, whereby the rod 10 will be held in position tohold the valve 7 open. A spring 15 en- 'gages'the lever 14 and pressesthe hooked abled or disconnected from the source" of en'- ergy as anincident to its operation to reand extends through the armature supportand is provided on its lower end with a member 19 adaptedto contact withthe free end of the lever 14 and to press the same and thereby disengagesaid lever from the shoulder 13, thus enabling the valve 7 to be closedby the spring 8.

two binding posts 21 having, their terminals below and insulated fromsaid support 20.

A wire 22 leads from one of said posts to the electromagnet 16, and a-Wire 23 leads 3 from the other binding post .to a connection in circuitwith a Wire 24. The upper end of the armature 17 carries a contact plate25 which is movable into contact with the terminals of the posts 21.When the member I 12 is adjusted into engagement with the lever 14 tohold the valve open the plate 25 is supported in contact with thecontact members of the posts'21, so that said plate constitutes aconnection between said terminals of said posts The wire 26' leads fromthe magnet coils to a connection 27 in circuit with a wire 28. Anotherwire 29 is in circuit with a wire 30, so that it is necessaryto switchthe wires 28 and 30 into the same circuit in order to bring the wires 23and 26 into the same circuit so as to energize the magnet. The mechanismfor bringing the wires 28 and 30 into the same circuit is controlled bythe liquid which has passed the valve, and the controllingdevice may beregulated or adjusted so as to beoperated by any desired predeterminedquantity of liquid. It will be understood that when the electromagnet isthus energized the armature 17 is actuated downwardly, releasing thelever 14 from its engagement with the shoulder 13, thus enabling theactuating spring 8 to close the valve and prevent further flow of theliquid thereby. I

The wire 28 leads to a binding post 31,

I whilethe wire 30 leads to a binding post 32,

both of which binding posts are carried by a support 33. A switch member34 is pivotally supported by the support 33 and has a binding devicethereon. A wire 36 leads y from the binding post 31 to the bindingdevice 35, and the binding device 35 is provided with a terminal contactmember 37 which is movable into and out of contact with the terminalcontact member on the binding post 21. In this manner the wires 28 and30 are brought into the same circuit with each other and with the wires23 and A support 20 is carried above the armature and. supports 26, thusenergizing the magnet 16 effectively lower ends of the binding posts 21,thus disabling or removing the actuating member 17 ,from the controlof'the energizing power. The contact member 37 is normally retained outof contact with the member 38 by a weighted'arm 39. Y

A fluid chamber 40has a passage 41opening into the container 1, so thatthe fluid is maintained at the same level in the chamber 40 as itisin-the container 1. A float 42 within the chamber 40 rises and fallswith the level of the fluid therein, in the usual manner. .A rod 43connected to said float extends upwardly through, suitable guides, andthrough a hole in the arm 39. An element 44 isadjustable on the rod 43,so that said element will contact with the arm 39 and thereby close thecircuit as above explained, under control of the fluid entering thecontainer. 1 and the chamber 40. The support 33fcontains a scale forguidance in adjusting the element 44, so that the quantity of liquidwhich will enter the container 1 before operation of the valve may beconveniently and accurately determined;

From the foregoing it will be understood that the valve-7 may bemanually opened, and will be retained open by engagement of the lever 14with the shoulder 13, and

that the magnet will be energized when the contact members-37 and 88 arebrought together to complete the circuit. Further, the amount of liquidrequired to complete the circuit may be varied optionally and at thewill of the operator by placing the element 44 in the desired positionon the rod 43. The circuit becomes immediately broken as a re sult ofthe movement of the armature to release the lever 14, and out of contactwith 1 the contact members on the lower ends of the posts 21. I

It will be understood'that there may be. variations and modifications inthe construction and arrangement of the diflerent parts of] theinvention without departure from the spirit and'scope thereof.Therefore, I do not restrict myself to specific features except wherespecified in the appended claims, but

What I claim and desire to secure vby Letters Patent is 1, Thecombination with a valve, an actu ator .for moving said valve towardclosed] position, a device for moving said Valve to open position andenergizing said actuator, and an element arranged to hold said valveopenin opposition to said actuator, of an additional actuator which isnormally deenergizedand which when energized is op-.

' actuator, and an element arranged to hold said valve open,ofanadditional actuator which is normally deenergized, a device supported bysaid element in position to enable said additional actuator to beenergized, and electric mechanism under control of the fluid that haspassed said valve for energizing and causing said additional actuator tooperate said device to release said element and enable said valve toclose.

3. The combination with a puppet valve, an element for holding saidvalve open, and an actuator for moving said valve to closed position, ofa normally deenergized electromagnet, an armature under control of saidmagnet supported by said element in position to enable said magnet to beenergized and movable as an-incident to energization of said magnet torelease said element and enable said valve to close, mechanism undercontrol of the fluid that has passed said valve to energize said magnet,and means for varying the amount of fluid that will operate saidmechanism to energize said magnet.

4. The combination with a valve case, a valve within said case, anactuator within said case for actuating said valve to closed position, adevice for moving said valve to open position, and an element arrangedto engage said device to hold said valve in open position, of anadditional normally denergized actuator, an armature supported by saidelement in position to enable said actuator to be energized when saidelement is in engagement with said device, and mechanism under controlof the fluid that has passed said valve for energizing and causing saidadditional actuator to actuate said armature to position to disengagesaid element from said device and also to denergize said additionalactuator.

5. The combination with a valve case, a puppet valve in said case, anactuator in said case holding said valve on its seat, a device movableto actuate said valve from its seat and to energize said actuator, alever arranged to engage said device and thereby holding said valve fromits seat, and a spring holding said lever in engagement with saiddevice, of a normally deenergized electro-magnet, a circuit forenergizing said magnet, an armature supported by said lever in'positionto enable said magnet to be energized by said circuit when said lever isin engagement with said device, and mechanism under control of the fluidthat has passed said valve for energizing said magnet through saidcircuit and causing said magnet to operate said armature to position todisengage said lever from said device and to open said circuittodenergize said magnet.

6. The combination with a valve, and an element for holding said valveopen, of an actuator, a device supported by said element in a positionto enable said actuator to be energized, mechanism under control of thefluid that has passed said valve whereby said actuator will be energizedafter a predetermined quantity of fluid has passed said valve, saiddevice being moved by said actuator as an incident to energization toposition to deenergize said actuator.

7. The combination with a valve, an actuator for closing said valve, andan element for holding said valve open, of an additional actuator, adevice supported by said element in position to enable said additionalactuator to be energized, and mechanism un-,

der control of the fluid that has passed said valve for energizing saidadditional actuator eifectively to move said device to position todisable said actuator and to release said element to enable said valveto close.

'8. The combination with a valve 7, a lever 14 for holding said valveopen and a device for closing said valve when said lever is released, ofa normally deenergized electromagnet, a normally open electric circuitfor energization of said magnet, an armature supported by said lever inposition to close said circuit to enable said magnet to be energized,and movable as an incident to energization of the magnet toposition toopen the circuit and to release said lever to enable said valve toclose, and mechanism under control of the fluid that has passed saidvalve determining when said magnet will be energized and said armatureoperated as aforesaid.

9. The combination with a valve, a manually operable device for openingsaid valve and a lever engageable with a part of said device to holdsaid valve open, of a normally deenergized electromagnet, a normallyopen electric circuit, an armature supported by said lever when inengagement as aforesaid in position to close said circuit and movable asan incident to the energization of said magnet to position to open'saidcircuit and to release said lever, a normally open switch in saidcircuit, and mechanism under control of the fluid that has passed saidvalve for closing said switch to enable said magnet to be energizedthrough said circuit.

10. In a fluid regulating device, two adjacent receiving chambers, avalve within each of said chambers, valve stems on said valves, rodsoperatively supported below said vvalve stems, cams on said rods forengaging said valve stems to open said valves When said rods are turned,means for turning said rods, elements for engaging and holding said rodsin position to hold said valves open, an actuator operable to disengageboth of said elements to permit said valves to close at the same time, areceptacle forfiuid passing from said chambers, an electro-magnet formovlng said actuator, a

circuit for energizing said magnet, and a device under control of thefluid' that has passed said valves for closing said circuit when apredeterminedquantity of fluid enters said receptacle.

In Witness whereof, I have signed this,

\ N. G. Baas; I

J HN D. RIPPEY.

Copies of this, patent may be obtained for five cents each, byaddressing the -Gommissioner o Patents,

Washington, D. C.

